Molded articulated article



Nov. 26, 1935. J. LUTON 2,022,472

MOLDED ARTI CULATED ART I CLE Filed May 8, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR.

Jo/i n L u for].

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 26, 1935. J. LUTON 2,022,472

MOLDED ARTICULATED ARTICLE Filed May 8, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

J/m Z 2150 n.

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 26,1935. J. LUTON 2,022,472

MOLDED ARTICULATED ARTICLE 7 Filed May 8, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 4INVENTOR.

"81- JJ/m Luton 86- BY a a M 11D 24 ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOLDED ARTICULATEDARTICLE John Luton, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to TheConsolidated Iron-Steel Mfg. Company of 1932, Cleveland, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application May 8, 1933, Serial No. 669,836

10 Claims.

This invention relates to articles molded from molten metal.

More particularly, the invention relates to articles molded by a singlemetal casting operation,

and comprising two or more separate parts hav- :in as having particularapplication to the housthe heating coils and at the lower end enclosingthe burner which is usually a gas burner. The cylinder is in two partshinged together on a vertical axis, one part being stationary and theother movable as a door to give access to the burner and coils. The twohalves of the housing are furthermore provided with lugs or like devicesat the upper and lower ends thereof for attachment to the burner at thelower end and attachment to a suitable cover leading to a pipe or stackto convey away burnt gases.

In common practice, the two halves of such cylinders are made separatelyand joined together by a hinge construction and the lugs or like devicesthereon for the purposes mentioned are drilled with holes for thereception of securing bolts. 7 Such separate halves have been made ascastings by pouring molten metal in sand molds. 7

It is an object of this invention to provide a pair of hollowparti-cylindrical elements suitable to compose a burner housing of theclass referred to which may, by a single molten metal casting operation,be formed complete with the hinge connection therebetween, and the lugsand other essential parts.

Another object is to provide an improved core device for use in sandmolds for molding two parts hinged together at a single moldingoperation.

Another object is to provide an improved burn er or heater housing ofthe class referred to. 7

Another object is to provide an improved hinge construction which may beemployed to join two cast articles by a single molten metal castingoperation.

ther objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which myinvention appertains.

My invention is fully disclosed in the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a burner and/or heater housingwhich may be made in the practice of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view taken from the plane 2 of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the housing of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is abottom plan view of the housing of Fig. 1 with the parts in openposition;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a molding flask illustratingthe apparatus and method of molding the housing of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view taken from the plane 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view-taken from the plane 1 of Fig. 5 and with acore element of Fig. 5 omitted;

Fig. 8 is a view taken from the plane 8 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a plan view and Fig. 10 is an elevational view of a coredevice which I may employ;

Fig. 11 is a View taken from the plane I i of Fig. 5 but illustratingthe mold of Fig. 5 after the metal has been poured;

Fig. 12 is a View taken from the plane 12 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a view taken from the plane l3 of 5 Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 is a view similar in general to a part of Fig. 6 butillustrating the pattern which I may employ in the mold before thewithdrawal of the pattern Fig. 15 is a view taken from the plane 15 ofFig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a view taken from the plane l6 of Fig. 14;

Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a core box which I may employ;

Fig. 18 is a view taken from the plane [8 of Fig. 17;

Figs. 19 and 20 are, respectively, plane and front elevational views ofa core element which I may employ similar in general, except as todimension, to the core element of Figs. 9 and 10;

Fig. 21 is a fragmentary view similar to a part of Fig. 1 butillustrating a modification;

Fig. 22 is a view similar to Fig. 21 illustrating another modification;

Fig. 23 is a view similar to Fig. 12 illustrating a step of process inthe production of the forms of Fig. 21 or Fig. 22;

which maybe produced by the practice of my invention, namely a hot waterheater and/or burner housing of the general form and construction ofthose commonly in use and comprising generally two semi-cylindricalshells I and 2 hinged together by longitudinally spaced hinges 3 and 4.

The parts I and 2 and the hinges 3 and 4 connecting the parts are formedcomplete and hinged together by a molding apparatus and method of myinvention to be described.

The shell I has a thin wall 5 of hollow semicylindrical form having onthe upper end thereof an inwardly directed flange 6 and the shell 2 hasa similar wall I and on the upper end an inwardly directed flange 8. Theflanges 6 and 8 are disposed substantially coplanar when the shells arein their assembled relationship illustrated to provide an upper flat endto the housing whereby it may be attached to or have mounted thereon asuitable cover for receiving a pipe or stack. To this end, the flange 8is provided with a plurality such as two open ended slots 99 extendinggenerally parallel to each other and to provide material to support thesame, the flange 8 is thickened horizontally in the neighborhood of theslots as at it and II.

The opposite or lower ends of the shells I and 2 are providedrespectively with inwardly directed substantially coplanar flanges l2and I3. The flange i3 is provided with a plurality such as threeinwardly open slots l4, l5 and IS, the flange being thickened or widenedat I7, I8 and I9 to provide material for the slots.

The shell i is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced arms 28 and2| extending generally outwardly radially therefrom; and the shell 2 isprovided with a corresponding pair of arms 22 and 23 longitudinallyspaced apart farther than the arms and 2I. The arms are thus disposed inpairs 2ll22 and 2I-23, the arms of each pair being longitudinallyspaced. Each of the pairs of arms is provided with a pair of,confronting faces 24-25 spaced apart longitudinally and balls 26 and 21are seated in ball sockets 28-28 in the faces 24 and respectively, thesockets being of spherical segmental form, of exactly the same radius asthe balls 26-21.

The arms and balls thus described constitute hinges longitudinallyspaced on the shells which perform several functions: that of connectingthe two shells together to prevent separation either longitudinally orlaterally, to provide hinges whereby the two shells may be moved with ahinging movement relative to each other on a common axis through thecenter of the balls 25 and 21, and in a manner to be more fully described, provide means whereby the two shells l and 2 may be, by asingle molten metal casting operation, formed and assembled in hingedrelation; and inasmuch as the hinge construction described permits ofmolding or casting the two shells in their hingedly open relation asillustrated in Fig. 4, the construction permits of casting the slots9-ii, 24, I5 and I6 by the same operation.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the slots 99 on thetop of the assembled housing and the slots I4, I5 and i6 on the bottomhereof, provide attachment means whereby at the top of the device asuitable cover may be attached to cover the housing and the heatertherewithin and to conduct burnt gases to a smoke pipe and whereby atthe bottom of the device it may be secured to the burner proper or abase thereof. To this end, the flanges 6 and 8 are preferably disposedin a plane at right angles to the axis of the shells as are also theflanges I2 and I3 on the bottom of the housing.

To utilize the slots 9, I4, I5 and I6 for the purpose mentioned, boltsmay be placed therein as 5 indicated at 29 in Fig. 3, the heads of thebolts, 30, overlapping the slots and the bolts may project upwardly andbe engaged with the cover to be secured thereto. In a similar manner,bolts in the slots I4, I5 and It may secure the housing 1 to the burnerbase. Inasmuch as the cover and base are well known in this art inconnection with other constructions of heater housing, it is believedunnecessary to illustrate or describe the cover or base or the means ofattaching the hous- 15 ing thereto.

Furthermore, inasmuch as the shells and their hinges may be cast at oneoperation with the shells in their hingedly open position as illustratedin Fig. 4, the outer surfaces of the shells 20 may be cast withornamentation thereon such as that clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Furthermore, inasmuch as the arms 2D22 and 2I23 are cast around theballs 26 and 21 respectively in a manner to be more fully described, 25the hinge construction thus provided may be wholly without lost motion,require no assembling time or labor in the production thereof, and, dueto the chilling of the metal in the arms where it contacts with theballs, the relatively moving 30 parts of the bearing will have themaximum of life and durability without wear.

The molding and casting operation by which the housing above describedmay be made by a single molding operation will now be described. Apattern is first made of the housing exactly of the same form andconfiguration in every respect as the finished shells to be and in thepattern the shells are disposed in their hingedly open positionillustrated in Fig. 4. In other words, Fig. 4 may be considered anillustration of the pattern with the exception of the parts at the hingeitself, which will presently be described; and thus the form andconfiguration of the pattern throughout will now be clear from Fig. 4taken in connection with the other figures of the finished housing.

The hinge parts of the pattern, however, are formed as illustrated inFigs. 14 to 16, Fig. 14 being a View of that part of the patterncorrespond- 5 ing to the hinge parts of the finished structure of Fig. 4and Figs. 15 and 16 being views of these parts taken from the planes l5and I6 of Fig. 14. The hinge, portion of the pattern, therefore, is seento comprise arm portions 23' and 2I corresponding generally in form tothe finished arms to be, 23 and 2 I, integrally joined by a core printportion 32 comprising a central web portion 33 and on the lower portionthereof, extensions 34 and 35 integrally joined with the arm portions23' and 2| respectively. A mold illustrated in Fig.

5 is then made from the pattern above described.

The mold of Fig, 5 comprises the usual cope 3E and drag 31 and sand 38and 39 therein and Fig.

5 illustrates the mold in the condition thereof 5 after the patternabove described has been rammed and withdrawn and a core element 59 (tobe described) has been inserted. The mold cavity left in the mold willhave the same shape as the pattern above described and the View, Fig. 5,being taken on a central plane. The cavity portion 40 is that which isleft by the hinge portion of the pattern, illustrated in Figs. 14, 15and 16. This hinge portion of the mold is also illustrated in Fig. '7,without the core element 50.

A core element 50 is next made, illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, andcomprises a relatively thin web portion 4| and laterally extendingprojections 44 and 45, the shape of these parts being substantially thesame and of the same size as the portions 33, 34 and 35 (see Figs. 14 to16). A steel ball 46 is lodged in the web portion 4| and the coreelement thus provided is preferably made from sand containing a binder,formed in a core box, and the ball 46 is molded directly in the coreelement; so that when the element is finished, the ball is integraltherewith and projects substantially equal distances from the oppositesides of the web portion 4| as shown in the drawings.

The core element 56 of Figs. 9 and 10 is then placed in the hingeportion of the mold cavity and appears as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6;and as will now be apparent, the ball 46 is supported in the centralportion of the hinge cavity and the hinge cavity is divided by the webportion 4| of the core element.

After the mold has thus been made, the metal is poured therein throughthe usual gate (not shown) and fills the mold cavity surrounding thecore element therein and when the metal has solidified, the form thereofexcept at the ends will be clearly understood from the foregoing. At thehinge, the solidified metal in the sand mold and adjacent the coreelement 56 appears as illustrated in Figs. 11, 12 and 13; portions ofthe two shells are illustrated at and 2 and a hinge arm 23 and a hingearm 2| embrace therebetween the ball 46 and the web portion 4| of thecore element, the projections 44 and 45 defining curved portions of theends of the arms.

Upon removing the solidified metal from the mold and breaking out thecore element 56, the hinge construction hereinbefore described is foundto be completed.

The surfaces of the core element 58 and of the core print portions 34and 35 permit a parting line between the two halves of the mold to bemade at 55 along the lower surface portion 55' of the core element 56and thus the core element may be all in one piece and set in the dragportion of the mold; and this permits the integral construction of thecore element and its embraced hinge ball 46, a construction which wouldbe inferior and inconvenient if the core element holding the ball werein a plurality of pieces, one or more to be placed in each of the halvesof the mold.

Furthermore, the molding of the two shells in their hingedly openposition permits the draft of the pattern including that of the coreelement 50 to fall in opposite directions on opposite sides of thepattern whereby no coring other than that to support the ball 46 isrequired.

In accordance with the foregoing it will be observed that the ball isdisposed wholly in one half, preferably the drag of the mold, and thus aparting line at the ball with the usual disadvantageous fins is avoided.

The ball 46 is preferably a hardened steel ball and thus, as is wellunderstood, the metal, particularly if it is cast iron, upon flowingaround the ball on each side thereof, is chilled thereby. Thus thesocket formed around the ball has a chilled and thus hardened surfacewith the ad'- vantages set forth hereinbefore.

By providing attachment means at both ends of the complete housing inthe form of slots 99 and |4, I5 and i6, and by disposing the longitudinal direction of these slots at a right angle to the parting line of thepattern, such attachment means may be molded without cores and withoutmachining operations performed on the solidified metal as has beennecessary heretofore.

A suitable core box for forming the core element 50 is illustrated inFigs. 17 and 18 and com- 5 prises two halves 60 and 6| having the usualdowel pins 62 in one half and recess 63 in the other half, the twohalves having confronting recesses indicated generally at 6464 of thecontour and shape and size of the core to be made, each part 10 havingtherein concavely confronting recesses 65--65 of sphere segment form.The ball 46 may be placed in the recesses 65 and the two parts of thebox placed together and then the cavity therein rammed with the coresand or other suit- 15 able material to form the core, the boxpositioning the ball in the core and forming itintegral therewith.

In the particular form of heater illustrated in Fig. l, the upperportion thereof is of smaller di- 20 ameter than the lower portion.Therefore, if the arms 23 and 22 are of the same length as the arms 2|and 23, the hinging axis will not be parallel to the axis of the doorsand when the half I is opened as a door, it will tend always to swing 25shut. If it be desired to have the hinging axis parallel with the axisof the heater housing as a whole, the arms 20 and 22 may be made longerand in this connection I find it desirable to employ 'a larger coreelement such as illustrated in Figs. 19 and 20.

In Fig. 21 I have illustrated a modification in which the bearingelement 66 molded in position with respect to the pair of adjacent arms81 and 68 is not a sphere. In this form, the bearing element 66 isprovided having a generally spherical portion 69 connected to a baseportion it) by an intermediate neck portion 1|.

The metal of the arm 61 is cast around the base portion HI and around apart of the neck por- 40 tion H to rigidly grip the base portion :0 inthe arm 61, and the arm 68 is cast with a recess 3 partly embracing thespherical portion 69. As shown in Fig. 21, hing-e elements 66 are, asjust described, provided at the upper and lower end 45 portions of thedoors and in each case between pairs of arms or h nge portions, 6'|68and 14-15. The bases 10 are cast in the axially outermost arms orbearing portions 61 and 15, and the recesses 13 are cast in theinnermost 50 arms 68 and 14. The recesses '|3'|3 thus face concavely inopposite directions longitudinally whereby the doors are prevented fromshifting relatively longitudinally and relatively laterally. Therelative movements occurring during the 55 hinging action occurs betweenthe arms-68 and I4 and the element 66. I

In the form of Fig. 22, a construction similar to that of Fig. 21 isshown except that the bases it of the bearing elements are cast rigidlyin 60 the innermost arms 16 and TI and the recesses in the outermostarms 78 and 19. In this case the recesses 86 and 8| face concavelytoward each other but as in the case of Fig. 21, the spherical portionsof the bearing element, in the 65 recesses, prevent lateral as well aslongitudinal displacement of the doors as well as providing hingingsurfaces.

In Fig. 23 is illustrated one of the steps of molding the bearingelement 66 in the arms .or 70 bearing portions of the door, for examplethe portions 6'1 and 68. This view being similar to Fig. 12 which hasbeen fully described herein, it is believed that with this brief showingit will be understood. A core element similar to '15 the core elementillustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 is provided but instead of supportingtherein a spherical ball, supports therein the element 66 with thespherical portion 69 projecting from one side of the core element andthe base 10 projecting from the other side.

In Fig. 24 is illustrated still another modificat'on in which thespherical recesses 83 and 84 face in the same longitudinal direction andthe recess 83 is in the arm 85 of one of the doors and the recess 8% isin an arm 86 of the opposite door. In the forms of Figs. 21 and 22, therecesses are in arms on the same door.

Other and various combinations of the recesses and spherical hingeelements may be made embodying my invention.

My invention is not limited in all respects to the exact details shownand described inasmuch as, without departing from the spirit of myinvention or sacrificing its advantages, numerous changes andmodifications may be made.

I claim:

1. A heater housing comprising a pair of cast metal elongatedconcave-convex shell elements having a hinge connection on a commonaxis, the hinge connection comprising spaced pairs of arms cast integralwith the shell elements, the arms of each pair projecting laterally fromone of the shells respectively, and the arms on one shell disposedbetween the arms on the other shell, and each arm on one shell disposedadjacent to an arm on the other shell and the adjacent arms providedwith confronting recesses, and a metal ball in each pair of confrontingrecesses upon which the pair of arms may have hinging movement.

2. A heater housing comprising a pair of cast metal elongate-dconcavo-convex shell elements having hinging connection with each otheron a common longitudinal axis, the hinge connection comprisinglongitudinally spaced arms cast integral with each shell elementdisposed in adjacent pairs, one arm of each pair being on different onesof the elements, confronting recesses in each pair of arms, a steel ballin each pair of arms, and the recesses on one shell being disposedlongitudinally between the arms of the other shell whereby relativelongitudinal displacement of the shells is prevented.

3. A heater housing comprising a pair of cast metal elongatedconcavo-convex shell elements having a hinging connection with eachother on a common longitudinal axis, the hinging connection comprising aplurality of arms extending laterally from the shells in adjacent pairs,the arms of each pair cast integral with difierent ones of the shells,and the arms on one shell being between the arms on the other shell,confronting recesses in the pairs of arms, steel balls in each pair ofrecesses, the shells having transversely extending end flanges providedeach with a plurality of parallel open ended slots for receiving thebodies of attaching bolts inserted thereinto longitudinally of the slotsand laterally of the bolts.

4. A heater housing comprising a pair of cast metal elongatedconcave-convex shell elements having a hinging connection with eachother on a common longitudinal axis, the hinging connection comprising aplurality of arms extending laterally from the shells in adjacent pairs,the arms of each pair cast integral with different ones of the shells,and the arms on one shell being between the arms on the other shell,confronting recesses in the pairs of arms, steel balls in each pair ofrecesses, a shell having a transverse ly extending end flange providedwith a plurality of parallel spaced open ended slots for receiving thebodies of attaching bolts inserted thereinto longitudinally of the slotsand laterally of the bolts.

5. As an article of manufacture, a pair of cast metal elements havinghinging connection with each other on a. common longitudinal axisexternally of the elements, the hinging connection comprising aplurality of arms extending laterally from the elements in adjacentpairs, the arms of each pair being cast integrally with difierent onesof the elements, and the arms on one element being between the arms onthe other element, confronting recesses in the pairs of arms, and steelballs in each pair of recesses.

6. As an article of manufacture, a pair of cast metal elements havinghinging connection with each other on a hinging axis, the hingingconnection comprising a plurality of pairs of hinging portions, thehinging portions of each pair being cast integrally with different onesof the elements, a part-spherical recess in one hinging portion of eachpair concavely confronting the other hinging portion of the pair, ametal hinging element having a part-spherical surface portion in therecess and having a portion partly embedded in the cast metal of theother hinging portion, the recesses and spherical portions of theelements may move with a hinging movement.

7. As an article of manufacture, a pair of cast metal elements havinghinging connection with each other on a common axis disposed laterallyof the elements, the hinging connection comprising a. plurality of pairsof cooperating hinging 4o portions, the two portions of each pair beingon a different one of the elements, and the portions on one elementbeing between the portions on the other element, each pair of saidhinging portions being provided with parti-spherical recessesconfrontingly disposed, a ball for each hinging pair disposed in theconfronting recesses, both elements and their associated hingingportions being cast integral in a single casting operation with theballs maintained in assembled relation by a core element, the ballsaffording the hinging movement between the elements and preventinglongitudinal and lateral displacement.

8. As an article of manufacture, a pair of cast metal elements havinghinging connection with 55,-

each other on a common axis, the hinging connection comprising meansproviding a plurality of shoulder portions extending laterally from theelements in adjacent pairs, the shoulder portions of each pair beingcast integrally with different ones of the elements, and the shoulderportions on one element being between the shoulder portions on the otherelement, confronting recesses in the pairs of shoulder portions, and ametal ball in each pair of recesses.

9. As an article of manufacture, a pair of cast metal elements havinghinging connection with each other on a hinging axis, the hingingconnection comprising a plurality of pairs of hinging portions, thehinging portions of each pair being cast integrally with different onesof the elements,

a concave recess in one hinging portion of each pair concavelyconfronting the other hinging portion of the pair, a metal hingingelement having. a convex surface portion projecting into the recess andhaving a portion partly embedded in the cast metal of the other hingingportion, the recesses and convex portions of the hinging elements beingdisposed to prevent longitudinal and lateral displacement of the castmetal elements and providing relatively movable surfaces upon which thetwo cast metal elements may move with a hinging movement.

10. As an article of manufacture, a pair of cast metal elements havinghinging connection with each other on a common axis, the hingingconnection comprising means providing a plurality of shoulder portionsextending laterally from the elements in adjacent pairs, the shoulderportions of each pair being cast integrally with different ones of theelements, and the shoulder portions on one element being between theshoulder portions on the other element, confronting recesses in thepairs of shoulder portions, and a metal bearing element having oppositeconvex portions in each pair of recesses.

JOHN LU'ION.

